


Picture it Soft

by pinkevilbob



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Nonbinary Character, Other, Self-Indulgent, not a lot of details though, second chapter involves aftermath of trauma, widojest kids - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:34:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22192627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pinkevilbob/pseuds/pinkevilbob
Summary: ...A fic about my widojest kid Alby because I have no self control.Alby gets into trouble with his siblings and when trying to find a place to hide, finds a friend instead.
Relationships: Original Character(s)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 11





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was talking about an idea I had for a widojest kid on the widojest server and went '...I'm writing this', so here it is in all of its no one asked for it glory.

It was all Una's fault. When the Lavorre children got in trouble, it was usually Una's fault. Though, it wasn't unusual for it to be Harley's fault either. Oskar occasionally would be the guilty party. If it involved ovens or pastries, Alby would deserve the blame. Lina was almost never the instigator of trouble, but she was only four and still had time to follow her siblings’ example. There were times where Mama was the one who got the mischief started, but that was part of her holy duty. But this time it was all Una's fault.

Alby should've known better than to listen to her. But it was boring at the Cobalt Soul. Everyone was old and busy, and all there was to do was wait for Mama and Papa to finish their important meeting. Sure, there was the library, but all the books there were meant for adults written by adults who didn't really want what they wrote to make sense. And the monks in the library would glare at them if they so much as fidgeted. So Una suggested that they play a game(technically Una was almost an adult, but she was the fun kind like Mama).

And now Alby and his siblings were in trouble and had scattered running in all directions trying to avoid monks and librarians. Alby could only hope that the confusion was enough for him to get away. Speed was not a skill of his. Neither was hiding, but he managed to find a door that was partially ajar and slipped into the room.

It was a bedroom, plain and boring. A simple bed sat in the middle of the room with sheet that hung down to the floor. Not paying attention to the rest of the room, Alby dove down under the bed. Or at least he had attempted to. Alby was proving to be the bulkiest of his siblings, which he never minded since he was also proving to be the strongest, but it did not help with squeezing under the bed. Lina, Oskar, and even Harley, who was two years older than Alby, could've easily slipped under there, and if she held her breath right, Una probably could've managed it too. But Alby couldn't even manage to get half way under the bed.

Something grabbed his shirtsleeve and tugged on it. Alby slid out from under the bed to see a half-elf staring at him. They were scrawny and nearly as short as Oskar, but they looked closer to Alby's age. Big, honey brown eyes shone out from behind scraggly, long, light brown hair. Their skin was a pale brown that made Alby think that they needed to go outside more.

At the same time, Alby could only imagine what the half-elf thought looking at him. Teiflings were common in his family, only Papa wasn’t one, but apparently they weren’t common in most places. He wasn’t tall, but he was big for his age in other ways and was told that some found him to be intimidating. Intimidating was not the look Alby was going for, but that didn’t stop him from getting a mohawk. The half-elf’s eyes kept flicking back and forth between his short horns that curled forward and the crooked spot near the end of his pale blue tail(he couldn’t remember how he got it since he was just a baby at the time, but apparently it involved why the game ‘Hide the Baby’ was banned in the Lavorre household). 

The half-elf tugged on his sleeve, dragged him over to a wardrobe, and opened the door to it. Nodding, Alby climbed letting them close it behind him.

After a moment, Alby could hear someone enter the room. "Almethia," an older male voice said, "I hope you have been resting well. There's been a disturbance in the halls, so you'll want to make sure your door is locked." The speaker paused. "You haven't seen any hooligan tieflings running about have you?" Silence. "That's for the best. For all that their parents have done for us, those children are hellions. We wouldn’t want them bringing any harm to you." 

Alby couldn't really argue against them being hellions, he and his siblings most certainly were, but they weren't bullies. He sulked until the half-elf opened the wardrobe's door and tugged on his shirtsleeve. Stumbling out of the wardrobe, Alby opened his mouth to thank them, but no words came out. His mouth did that sometimes, so instead, he brought his fingers to his chin and then bent his hand back towards the half-elf thanking them. The half-elf only stared for a long moment and nodded.

A silence hung between the two of them. Not a bad one, but a comfortable one. Alby had a feeling that the half-elf was like him and wasn't much of a talker. His siblings and even his parents would fill up the quiet with talk, but it was nice sharing the silence with someone. It was interrupted by a small rumbling sound.

"Are you hungwy?" Alby winced as soon as he said it. His long, snake-like tongue would trip and stumble over words. Even little Lina spoke clearer than him. He sometimes wondered if that was why his mouth would lock up and stay silent. "I meant hun-gry," he said purposefully enunciating the word.

The half-elf stared at him wide-eyed and scared.

"I sssay something wwong? Are you fasting?" Alby asked.

The half-elf shook their head. Their stomach grumbled again and they hunched down.

Alby crouched down alongside them trying to make himself smaller. "Do you want to eat? I'm hungwy too." Not quite true, but Alby was always ready to get bread. "We could go down to the kitchens."

Finally, the half-elf nodded.

Alby grinned. "Gweat. I'm Alby. Your name'sss Almethia, right?"

The half-elf shook their head mussing up their hair even more.

"Oh. You do have a name, wight?" A nod. "Okay. Do you know how to spell it?" Another nod. Alby sighed with relief. That was going to make things much easier. "I'll go through the alphabet and you'll let me know what letter'sss next in your name." He slowly went through the alphabet fingerspelling as he went through each one. The half-elf watched his hands carefully and stopped him on t, h, e, r, and u. "Okay, so your name starts with Deru, no, Theru."

The half-elf shook their head spelling out the first three letters before pausing and continuing with the next two. 

"Your name ssstarts with The?"

They nodded.

"Oh." This half-elf was stranger than Alby had first imagined, but he didn't have much room to talk since his name was short for Albatross. He continued through the alphabet twice more and by then the half elf had picked up fingerspelling well enough to spell out their name. "The Wu-Runechild?" It sounded more like a title than a name, but they nodded. "Um, can I call you Runie?"

The Runechild nodded.

"Okay, Runie, let's go get something to eat."

Alby learned several things quickly about the Runechild. First was that they were not very fast, which made sneaking to the kitchens tricky. Second was that they were very good at hiding, which mostly made up for the first fact. Third, and most importantly though, was that the Runechild was afraid of nearly everything. At the slightest sound of anything, the Runechild would press their back against the wall, their eyes wide with fear.

“Wunie?” Alby asked. “Do you want to hold my hand? So we don’t get sepawated?”

The Runechild stared at him for a moment before nodding and taking his hand. Alby had snuck into the kitchens before with his siblings while their parents had meetings at the Cobalt Soul, but it felt different with the Runechild. They clung to his hand like it was a life preserver.

Finally, the two teens got to the kitchens. Getting there was the easy part, but slipping in for a couple of pastries usually wasn’t too hard. Though, usually Alby didn’t accidentally trip the moment he got to the doors. So at that point it wasn't a surprise that they got caught. 

A monk cornered Alby and The Runechild quickly. Alby took a step forward putting himself between the monk and the Runechild. He opened his mouth to say something, but all his words dried up. A tremble filled his throat instead. It wasn't like Alby was clever with his words anyways. Not like Oskar, Harley, or Una. But he wanted to do or say something to defend the Runechild. So he just stood there blocking the Runechild from the monk's view.

"What are you doing here?" the monk demanded crossly.

"I," a small voice said behind Alby, "I wanted a snack. Alby was helping me get one."

The monk gasped. "Almethia? You shouldn't have left your room. You shouldn't have left your room. You know you could ask for something if you needed it."

Alby frowned at the monk. She should've realized that there was no way that the timid Runechild would ask for something. But the monk didn’t notice that the Runechild didn’t like that name either, so Alby shouldn’t have been surprised.

"Right," the Runechild said softly. Their voice was filled with uncertainty confirming Alby's suspicion. They were shaking in Alby's hand.

"But while you're here, you may get a snack. What did you want?"

The Runechild nodded. "Bread."

The monk nodded and went back into the kitchen and came back with a basket filled with bread and other goodies. "There you go. Now back to your room." She escorted the two of them back to the Runechild’s room. Alby had a feeling that she would’ve prefered sending him away, but the Runechild held on tightly to his hand.

It was quiet back in the Runechild’s room. The two of them talked, but it was all done with finger spelling and Alby showing the Runechild some of the signs he knew. Occasionally one of them would say something out loud, but it didn’t break their silence.

The door opened and the monk from earlier was there. “I believe that is yours.” She pointed at Alby with disdain.

“Ja, that’s one of ours,” Papa said. Mama stood behind him at the door.

Alby got up and the Runechild stood up behind him clutching his sleeve. “Hi,” the Runechild said softly.

A surprised expression crossed both Mama and Papa’s faces, but Mama recovered faster. “Oh hello. It’s nice to see you again. Did you have fun with Alby?”

“Mmhmm,” the Runechild said stepping out from behind Alby, but they still stuck close to him.

“We got bwead,” Alby said. He didn’t bother correcting himself in front of his parents. They never minded how his tongue got confused.

Papa smiled. “Good for you. Is it okay if we take Alby home?” he asked the Runechild.

The Runechild nodded and then brought their fingers to their chin and lowered them the same way Alby did when he thanked them.

“You’re welcome,” Mama said.

“Bye, Wunie,” Alby said. “Is it okay if I can back someday?”

The Runechild nodded enthusiastically. 

Alby smiled.

Mama exchanged looks with Papa who just shook his head. “Well, we should be going, but we’ll be sure to bring Alby back soon,” Papa said.

The Runechild stared at Alby for a moment before squeezing his hand and darting back. “Bye,” they whispered.

“Bye!” Alby said again waving before joining his parents. The Runechild stared at him for a long time before waving back. It was going to be a strange friendship; Alby could already tell that, but he didn't mind.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this chapter deals with the aftermath of trauma. Nothing's shown, but stuff is hinted at.

The Runechild looked forward to the Lavorre’s visits. They were loud even when it was just Alby and his parents, but Alby being there was worth all the noise. He could be loud, but he was also good at being quiet. His siblings were a completely different story, always running about and joyfully shouting, but they also made sure to include the Runechild as one of them and also that they were having fun.

Fun was a new concept for the Runechild. The lab was not a good place, and the Cobalt Soul was strict and boring, but it wasn’t cruel. But with the Lavorre kids around, it was none of those things. Alby’s siblings always had a new adventure to go on or a prank to pull. The Runechild didn’t like pranks, so they would just kept watch to make sure that none of the monks caught the Lavorres. One time though, a monk caught the Runechild and all five of the siblings ran up ready to take the blame. Being protected was another new sensation for the Runechild.

Feeling safe was easy with Alby. He was quiet and soft, but also big and strong. When an old statue nearly fell on the Runechild, Alby caught and stopped it like it was nothing. Alby made being brave and strong seem so easy. Being with him was easy.

Touching and being touched wasn’t easy though. Alby also made that look so natural and simple. He was always hugging and picking up his family and some of the nicer monks in training. The Runechild would ever take a step back if Alby looked like he wanted to hug them. A frown would cross his face, but he would just nod and didn’t seem too bothered by it.

But one time, Alby’s younger siblings were running past them and made the Runechild lose their balance. Alby scooped the Runechild up and gave them a big smile. And Alby was holding them, and they knew it was Alby, but the Runechild’s everything insisted that it was the Professor holding them, and that they were back in the lab and were never rescued. The Runechild bit their lip willing themselves to be still and quiet, but that didn't stop them from trembling and crying silently.

"What's the matter?" Alby asked. "I got you. You're okay."

The Runechild just kept crying. This was the part where the Professor would take them to the cold table of the lab and start the next round of experiments. It was a routine the Rune Child knew well even if it hadn't happened for over a year. The Professor would put up with their tears, but if the Runechild did anything more than that, there was sure to be trouble.

"Runie? Runie, what's wrong?" Alby asked, but there wasn't anything Alby could do cause the Runechild was in the lab.

Adults surrounded Alby and suddenly the Runechild was sitting on the ground gasping for breath. They were at the Cobalt Soul, and it was okay and safe. Alby stared at the Runechild. "What happened? Is Runie okay?"

A monk shot a glare at Alby. "It will be, no thanks to you."

"But-" Alby went silent and stared at the Runechild silently pleading for an explanation.

Alby's Papa was there leading him away. "I'll explain it all later."

Alby walked away but kept looking back at the Runechild. "Did that ruffian hurt you?" one of the monks asked.

The Runechild shook their head as Alby went away. They'd lost their best friend. Runie knew it.

* * *

"What happened?" Alby asked. "I was just trying to help Wunie.”

"Ja, I know," Papa said with a sigh. He paced the floor and snapped his fingers summoning Frumpkin to Alby's lap. "Sometimes, maybe your mother should be the one explaining this, but she's off with your sisters,” he said to himself. “Sometimes, people when they're hurt can't forget being hurt."

Alby scratched Frumpkin behind his ears. "Like, when I broke my leg? I wouldn't ever forget that."

"Ja, but it's a bit different in the Runechild's case. There's more to it then just that." Papa paused for a moment. "Have I told you about how I got my scars?" He rolled up his shirt sleeves showing the the little dots of the scars that speckled his arms like constellations.

"Umm, there was a bad man that controlled a seat in the one assembly? He did experiments on you and was tewwible?" Alby was never very good at remembering old things, not like Oskar.

Papa heaved a laugh. "Ja, that is one way to put it. There were crystals, needles almost, and they would hurt like nothing else when they were put in."

Alby traced one of the puncture marks in his father's arm. "Do they ssstill hurt?"

"Nein. They're hardly noticeable. But my mind thinks that they always itch. And when the nightmares come it's like they've been put in all over again," Papa said.

Alby stared at Papa. It was hard to think of Papa of being capable of having nightmares. Parents were supposed to be invincible. "Really?"

"Ja, but it was a long time ago and the nightmares are rare." Papa smiled faintly at him. "The Runechild, they didn't have a happy childhood. We don’t know all what happened to them, but from what I can tell it makes crystals look like nothing.”

"They mentioned a lab once, but they wouldn't tell me about it," Alby said.

Papa nodded. "Ja, I'm not surprised. Your friend has been through a lot and it hasn't been that long ago. Talking about that sort of thing is difficult. And forgetting it is harder." He absentmindedly scratched at his bicep.

Alby sunk down in his seat. “I didn’t mean to hurt them. I don’t know what I did wrong.”

“That’s the thing. You can’t always predict what will trigger it. All you can do is be there for them and help them.”

“But I don’t know how.” Alby frowned. “When Lina cwies, I can usually get her to stop by holding her. But that only makes things worse for Wunie.”

Frumpkin licked Alby’s hand with his sandpapery tongue. “Then you have to ask them what works for them. Or try out new things for them and see what they like.”

“Thanksss, papa.”

* * *

Alby didn’t say anything to the Runechild the next time he came to the Cobalt Soul. He just handed them a giant cinnamon roll and sat down quietly on the floor. “Sorry,” he spelled out and that was that.

The next few visits were quiet too. Alby was keeping his distance from the Runechild, but he wasn’t being mean about it. Just distant. Usually the quiet was nice with Alby, but this time it just felt wrong like he didn’t want to be quiet or like there was something that needed to be said, neither of them knew how.

Usually, the Runechild spent most of their time in their room. Not because the monks locked them in there, but because they preferred to be in there. There was a small courtyard outside. It was green though not very quiet, but the Runechild was taken there sometimes. Whenever the Runechild was in the courtyard, there was always a monk of some other adult there watching them even if they were out there with Alby and his siblings.

Alby was not much for going outside either. He preferred places with ovens and a surface to knead on. He could talk about baking outdoors. When the two of them were forced to go outside, they would find a quiet shady spot to sit and just feel the breeze. Unless, of course, Alby’s siblings where with them. His siblings always changed things. They’d run about, yelling and hollering, rejoicing in the outside while the Runechild found a safe place to watch it all. Sometimes Alby would sit with them, but this time he was in the middle of it all.

He wasn’t the tallest of his siblings, but he was the biggest and the strongest. It was a simple thing for him to pick up any of them and place them on his broad shoulders. Alby charged about the courtyard like Harley weighed nothing to the cheers of the rest of his siblings and the scowls of the monk watching over them. Running under the tree, Alby jumped up and Harley caught hold easily of a branch dismounting from Alby and climbing up the tree with ease.

“Who’s next?” Alby asked. He panted a little bit and his cheeks were bright, but his smile was enormous.

Oskar and Lina were pushing each other to be next, but the Runechild raised their hand surprising everyone including themselves. “Can I have a turn?”

Una grinned at them. “Of course. We’ve all already gone once.” Oskar and Lina almost said something, but Una glared them down.

“Sure.” Alby knelt down in front of the Runechild. His siblings all had to climb up while he was still standing. “Just be sure to hold tight.”

The Runechild climbed up on Alby’s back and wrapped their arms around his shoulders. He got up slowly and gently. “You comfortable?”

“Yeah,” the Runechild whispered.

“Okay, let’s go.” Alby walked instead of running. Una had gathered the other siblings distracting them by pestering the monk.

The Runechild clung close to him, feeling his every breath as Alby went slowly around the courtyard. They shivered a little, but they wanted to be there, to be close to him.

“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. Papa told me about how you were hurt before you came here,” Alby said. The Runechild stiffened. “It’s okay if you’re not comfortable with me. You shouldn’t push yourself for my sake.”

“I am comfortable with you.” The Runechild tightened their grip around Alby. “I’m most comfortable with you, Alby.” They rested their forehead against the back of his neck.

Alby stopped. “You, you are?” His voice trembled a little.

The Runechild nodded. “Mmhmm. I am. I like you a lot, Alby.”

Alby shifted a little and rested his hand lightly on the Runechild’s hand barely touching it. “I like you a lot too.”

“I, I want to stay with you,” the Runechild said. They hooked their thumb around Alby’s.

“I can stay with you until my parents are ready to go.” Alby started to walk again.

The Runechild leaned more into Alby. “I meant in a forever way.”

“Oh.” It hung in the air for a long moment. “Like in a ‘I love you’ way?”

“Yeah.”

Alby carefully stepped over a tree root. “I haven’t thought about it that way before.”

The Runechild loosened their grip. They shouldn’t have said anything. Now Alby knew how dumb and clingy the Runechild was, and he probably didn’t want to be friends any more. “I’m sorry. You don’t have to. I’m weird and don’t like being touched or loud. You probably have a lot of people you should like more than me.”

“No I don’t.” He kept his thumb hooked to the Runechild’s. “I like you, Runie, and I want to think about us in a forever way. In a ‘I love you’ way.”

The Runechild gasped. “You do?”

Alby nodded. “I do. I like you, Runie. A lot. I want to stay with you even if I still have to go home tonight.”

“Thank you.” The Runechild hugged his neck. “Thank you.”

“Huh? Oh, no problem, I like giving piggyback rides.”

The Runechild giggled. Alby was sweet but a bit slow on things sometimes. And they would never change him for all the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I just like writing Alby and the Runechild, and sometimes you just need to embrace your ocs.


End file.
